President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, are facing backlash for a social media post addressing the funeral of Pope Francis. As the world mourns the death of the head of the Catholic Church, who passed away on Easter Monday, April 21, at the age of 88, a significant post by President Trump on his platform, Truth Social, sparked criticism.
“Melania and I will be going to the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome. We look forward to being there!” Trump wrote. Online users slammed the phrase “looking forward” to a funeral, as it seemed inappropriate to use a positive sentence in association with a person’s death.
As per the outlet Tyla, one person commented, “Who looks forward to going to a funeral? What a vile thing to say.”
Another added, “Nobody looks forward to going to a funeral. Funerals are sombre, depressing occasions where people cry and tell stories about the disease.
A third user called the statement “utterly weird,” and a fourth wrote, “Donald Trump announced he and Melania are looking forward to going to the Pope’s funeral. That’s heartless.” Meanwhile, the dates of the Pope’s funeral have been released, with mass taking place at 10 am local time this Saturday (April 26), celebrated by the dean of the College of Cardinals, and then the burial.
Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies after double pneumonia battle
➡️ https://t.co/3ibWZceh4N pic.twitter.com/Ar8o1ItOQg— FRANCE 24 English (@France24_en) April 21, 2025
As of April 22, pictures of the Pope have been released by the Vatican in an open coffin led by Cardinal Kevin Farrell. Moreover, details of his final testament have also been revealed. While his wishes did break a century-old tradition, the church performed a number of rituals prior to selecting a successor and the nine-day mourning period.
The Pope meets with Vance
*immediately dies of cringe* pic.twitter.com/fJOoRt90XM— sean (@_sn_n) April 21, 2025
Furthermore, since Pope Francis’ death was confirmed, tributes have been coming in from all across the world, including from US Vice President JD Vance and King Charles III, who noted how Pope Francis “profoundly touched the lives of so many,” and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who described him as “a pope for the poor, the downtrodden and the forgotten.”
In fact, JD Vance was one of the last few people who had a brief meeting with the Pope on Easter while he visited the Vatican with his family. Both Vance and the Pope clashed on several political issues, especially after Vance accused the bishops in America of running refugee camps just for their monetary benefits.
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In response, the Pope condemned Vance’s interpretation of ordo amoris (a Catholic theological concept). Moreover, after Pope’s demise, JD Vance also faced intense backlash after a picture of his son inside the Sistine Chapel circulated online.
While Pope’s death was considered a natural one due to his prolonged ill health, in the world of conspiracy theories, netizens questioned if this was just a coincidental meeting or the closing chapter to an encounter filled with unspoken uncertainty
In addition, a 1,000-year-old Vatican prophecy, attributed to St. Malachy, resurfaced online recently. The prophecy apparently predicts the identities of all the popes, with Pope Francis being referred to as the ’final pope before Judgment Day.” The eerie timing of the prophecy, JD Vance’s visit and the Pope’s death has only raised the conspiracies.
CONSPIRACY: DO YOU KNOW THAT THE POPE FRANCIS PASSED AWAY JUST FEW HOURS AFTER JD VANCE PAID HIM A VISIT 🤔
Pope Francis’s death could herald the end of the world in 2027
The pontiff who died today is the last one before the Day of Judgement, according to the “Prophecy of Saint… https://t.co/qFxT4nHjVk pic.twitter.com/DbIkJl5hLr
— 𝔻𝕒𝕧𝕚𝕕 .𝕁 𝕋𝕙𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕤 (@DavidJThreads) April 21, 2025
Following the Holy’s death, the Vatican entered a period known as sede vacante (vacant seat), during which the process of electing a new pope began. The papal conclave, expected to last 15 to 20 days, will involve the College of Cardinals voting up to four times a day until a two-thirds majority is reached.
